Pedicle screw and rod fixation in three cats with caudal lumbar vertebral fracture and luxation: a case report

Background Pedicle Screw and Rod Fixation (PSRF) is used for spinal stabilization of human and, more recently, in dogs. The use of bilateral PSRF in cats at the caudal lumbar and lumbosacral regions has not been reported. Objectives To describe the outcomes of cats with caudal lumbar vertebral fractures and luxation treated with bilateral monoaxial PSRF surgery. Animals Three cats with traumatic caudal lumbar vertebral fractures and luxation treated with bilateral PSRF (2016-2018). Methods Short case series. A retrospective analysis of medical records of cats treated with PSRF was performed. Data collected included clinical signs, neurological examination, pre-operative radiographs, and pre-operative CT scan. Post-operative neurological examination and radiographs 6-7 weeks post-operative were conducted. All radiographs and CT scans were reviewed by a board-certified veterinary radiologist. Inclusion criteria were cats presented to the clinic with thoracolumbar fractures and luxations without comorbidities. All cats were examined by a veterinary surgeon or surgery resident before surgery, immediately post-operative, 2 out of 3 cats presented 2-3 weeks post operative and all cats presented 6-7 weeks post-operative. Outcome assessment included comparing the neurological grade of the cats before and after surgery and the feasibility of placing the PSRF system in the vertebra of the cats. Results All cats underwent bilateral PSRF for stabilization of the caudal lumbar vertebrae to decompress and stabilize the spinal cord and cauda equina. The first cat presented with a comminuted fracture and luxation of L6 neurological grade III according to the modified Griffith Sharp-Wheeler scale and improved to grade 0 neurological status after surgery. The second cat had a caudal comminuted vertebral body fracture of L7 with minor dorsal dislocation and improved after surgery from neurological grade IV to grade III post-operatively. The third cat presented with a complete L5-L6 luxation with multiple fractures and displaced fracture fragments and a neurological grade V; no improvement was observed following surgery. Conclusions and clinical importance PSRF is a technically feasible surgical option for the treatment of vertebral fractures and luxations in cats; emphasizing the potential of the PSRF system in cats warrants further exploration.